Pretoria - The South African ministerial delegation to the 3rd annual innovaBRICS conference has arrived in London, the Department of Trade and Industry (dti) said on Monday.
South Africa’s Ministerial delegation is led by the Minister in the Presidency, Jeff Radebe and includes the Ministers of Trade and Industry Dr Rob Davies, Finance Nhlanhla Nene and Communications Faith Muthambi.
South Africa's participation in the innovaBRICS conference, which is partly sponsored by the South African government through BrandSA, is set to promote the country as a prime business destination. Through the conference, SA will also publicise its National Development Plan, which aims to end poverty and reduce equality by 2030.
Minister Radebe will this morning open the innovaBRICS conference and together with the other Ministers, brief opinion makers and potential investors on the progress made by the country since 1994.
Meanwhile, the Presidency has dismissed as “incorrect and mischievous” media reports suggesting that President Jacob Zuma cancelled the working visit to the UK -- where he was to open the innovaBRICS conference -- because he was refused an audience with British Prime Minister David Cameron.
Presidential spokesperson Mac Maharaj said it was not compulsory for President Zuma to meet Prime Minister Cameron, as the visit was not a South Africa-UK bilateral visit, which necessitates an engagement at government level.
South Africa and the United Kingdom have extensive trade and economic relations, which continue to strengthen despite the global economic challenges.
Last year, the United Kingdom was South Africa’s eighth largest export market globally, and the second largest in the European Union after Germany. – SAnews.gov.za
